Intel has halted shipments of the chipset used with its 2nd Generation Core processors after it found a design flaw.
The flawed chipset was used in PCs based on the Sandy Bridge architecture, which were introduced last month at CES. Intel has stopped shipment of the affected support chip, and the design issue has been fixed, Intel said.
The new Core CPUs remain unaffected, but customers who purchased systems with second-generation Core i5 and Core i7 quad core microprocessors could be affected by the chipset issue, according to Intel
According to some analysts, the design gaffe could affect Apple's next MacBook Pro refresh if the notebook line is to get new processors based on the Sandy Bridge architecture, as many speculated last month.
"It could mean a delay of two to three weeks," said Martin Reynolds, a vice president with Gartner, assuming Apple intended to launch new MacBook Pros in March or even April.
Reporting by Gregg Keizer (Computerworld US) and Agam Shah (IDG News Service).
